By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT— Minister of Health, Prof.  Isàac Adewole, has said  that no fewer than 137,000 persons die yearly in Africa due to  poor food safety culture  and hygiene.

Prof. Isaac Adewole, Health Minister

The Minister  disclosed this, weekend,  in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while declaring open a one-day awareness programme on National Policy on Food Safety and its Implementation Policy.

Represented by the Director, Food and Drug Services Department in the Ministry, Mrs Anthonia Opara, he said that data released by the World Health Organisation, WHO,  showed that about one in every 10 children below five years also  suffers  from food borne illnesses yearly.

He said: “WHO African region also reported 91 million cases of food borne illness with 137,000 deaths yearly. In recent years the country has been plagued with preventable food borne disease outbreaks such as cholera , Lassa fever , typhoid fever and chemical contamination.”

The Minister said that the essence of the sensitization programme was to promote safe food practices in communities round the country.